2018 Osaka Auto Messe - Part 1

Osaka, Japan - Every year without fail we head back to the big INTEX Osaka for the annual Osaka Auto Messe (OAM). Held about one month after the famous Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS), the Auto Messe is the Kansai area’s answer to a massive tuner fest. The Osaka Auto Messe does feature some of the cars earlier seen at TAS but also includes typical Osaka-style custom vehicles.

Over here there’s nothing but pure Japanese craftsmanship and the cars on display are a petrol-head’s wet dream! One big tendency of the OAM are the vans. There’s lots of Vellfires, Hi-Aces - all slammed to the ground or transformed into a mobile living room, you could find just about everything.

Their slammed counterparts, based on kei-car minivans were not left behind either with lots of different models used. On the other far end of the spectrum is the new LexusLC500 that has been out for a while now and we were able to see several of them at the OAM complete with aero modifications.

The editor was personally disappointed to see a rather low number of classic cars present at the event but some of them really looked fantastic, like this BMW and this SkylineGT-R from AP Garage. The Osaka Auto Messe is of course a heaven for the stanced cars, as much as those with massive sound systems and light shows, sometimes occupying the entirety of the car.